Vacancy
by wentletrap
Summary: Corff comforts a lonely f!Hawke.  Edited version of kmeme prompt fill.


**Vacancy**

Ordinarily, Corff would admit that he enjoyed being a bartender. He took pride in being the confessor for all the drunks of the town, hearing and sharing their burdens and secrets. However, when the drunk was Marian Hawke, lingering at his bar for the third time in as many nights, he found himself wishing that Varric could be there to stand in for him.

It had been only a week since her victory over the Qunari, and the young Champion should have been celebrating in the streets upon the shoulders of Kirkwall. Instead she had been coming in each night to sit on a stool in front of him, alone, and put away drink after lonely drink.

Corff stretched and then took a look around as he wiped down the countertop. The tavern was almost empty at this late hour, with only a few patrons scattered throughout the room. At a table near the door sat two bored city guardsmen, charged by their captain with looking after Hawke during her sad outings.

The guards looked up at him, and he gestured to them. They nodded in turn, and immediately got out of their chairs, quietly asking everyone to leave so that they could close the tavern for the evening.

Hawke drained her mug and pushed it forward, looking across the bar at him with bleary eyes. She spoke clearly and deliberately, trying to keep her words from slurring into each other.

"Corff, please... one more... and don't water it down this time."

"Serrah, I think you've had quite enough," he said to her gently, bracing for an ugly ending similar to Hawke's last two evenings.

"Damn it! Corff..."

She glowered at him, but he said nothing, meeting her eyes with his own level gaze. Slowly, her face softened.

"Oh... hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

As she trailed off, Corff came forward to take her hand. He usually didn't need to think quite so hard when he was giving out advice to drunks, but something in the Champion's tired eyes made him pause for a moment to gather his thoughts. He couldn't let her go on like this.

"Look, Hawke... _Marian_... I'll miss her too. She was my greatest customer, after all." She smiled at the jest, and he continued. "But she always belonged to the sea. You knew she was never going to stay here with us for long."

"I know, it's just... I just need to get over her." She rubbed her eyes, and pushed the empty mug away from her. "Bah. Blight take her."

He took the mug and put it away before she could change her mind.

"Alright then, lass. Off to bed with you."

"But... I don't want to go home just yet."

"Don't be silly," he smiled as an idea came into his mind. "We have a spare room here in the tavern for you."

Marian frowned and leaned against the bar . "Can't I just sit here for a while? No more drinks, I'm done."

"You need sleep, Marian. Tomorrow is a new day." He came around the bar and took her hand, and she let him lead her away towards the back of the tavern. She followed him for a few uneasy steps before stopping suddenly.

"What, am I to sleep in the kitchen?"

"You'll rest easier if you empty your stomach first," he said, yawning.

"It's alright. I'm fine, really... just take me up to my room."

Corff sighed and turned to lead her upstairs, taking an oil lamp from the bar so that he could light the way.

Marian swayed and tottered as they walked, leaning heavily on his shoulder and almost knocking him over. As he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her, he couldn't help but smile to himself.

_The woman defeats the Arishok and his whole bloody army in battle, and now she can't even stand without my help_.

Once upstairs, he managed to help her stumble down the hallway to the room. He set down the lamp and fumbled with his key ring as she leaned clumsily upon his shoulder.

At last he unlocked the door and helped Marian across the threshold. When she finally looked up, she nearly tumbled backward in surprise.

The Rivaini's room had remained untouched since her departure. Nautical charts adorned the walls, and the giant Antivan rug on her floor was littered with clothes and empty bottles. Her bedclothes were rumpled and unmade, as if she had only just left that morning.

Marian took a long look around the room before she moved again, making her way carefully towards the bed in the flickering lamplight. She paused before a small cabinet next to the head of the bed, and reached out to touch the small, delicate model ship that was perched on top of it.

She turned back towards him, but was unable to meet his gaze.

"Corff... "

"Here," he took the key off of the key ring, and pressed it into her palm. "Make yourself at home. You can stay here as often as you wish."

Marian stared silently at the key in her hand, and then hugged him, exhaling into his shoulder.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He patted her on the back, and turned to leave. When he reached the doorway, he looked back to see her sitting on the edge of the bed, her head bowed in thought.

"Sweet dreams," he said, and closed the door.


End file.
